Basavanna row: Former CM opposes film title

From the time directorSrinivasa Raju announced his new project Basavanna, the buzz was that the title would rake up a controversy. But while the filmmaker talked his way out initially saying that the film was not about the 12th century social reformer and that he wouldn’t change the title, the subsequent promotional material has only stoked an already raging fire. While the first picture had a man posing in the dhyana mudra with a gun nearby, the latest set of pictures featuring lead actor Upendra wearing a red dhoti, rudraksha beads, sacred thread and vibhuti, and brandishing a sword have caught the attention of former chief minister BS Yeddyurappa. The pictures became a hot topic of discussion in the assembly on Wednesday, with Yeddyurappa claiming that they were an insult to Basavanna and that they hurt the sentiments of the Lingayat community. The film’s unit has buckled under pressure, with producer Manohar telling BT that a change of title was on the cards. “Basavanna will now be called as Brahmana,” he said. Upendra added, “We don’t want to hurt the sentiments of any community and will change the title.”